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Make No Mistake: Obama Meant ‘Next July’

For months, President Obama has been saying that the United States would begin its transition out of Afghanistan in July 2011, and that is precisely what the prepared text of Tuesday night’s Oval Office address said. But when Mr. Obama delivered the speech, he appeared to push the date back a month, declaring, “And next August, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility.’’

There was no policy change, according to the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs.

“Just a slip,’’ he said.

Mr. Obama went on to say: “Make no mistake: this transition will begin — because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people’s.”

President Obama drew criticism on Thursday when he said, “we don’t have a strategy yet,” for military action against ISIS in Syria. Lawmakers will weigh in on Mr. Obama’s comments on the Sunday shows.Read more…